Range-finder attachment for guns.



No. 700,390. Patenudmg. s, |902.

A. P. CLLINS. RANGE FINDER ATTACHMENT F08 GUNS.

(Application led Nov. l5, 1901.) v (No Model.) 2 Shaets-Shqe l.

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A. P. coLLms. RANGE FINDER ATTACHMENT FR GUNS.

(Application led Nov. 5, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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UNITED' STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR P. COLLINS, OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY.

RANGE-FINDER ATTACHMENT FOR GUNS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 706,390, dated August 5, 1902.

Application led November 5, 1901. Serial No. 81,194. (No model.)

To all whom, it 11m/y concer-71,:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR P. COLLINS, of the United States Army,a citizen of the United States, residing at Manila, in the Philippine Islands, have made a certain new and useful Improvement in Range-Finder Attachments for Guns, of which the following' is a specification.

Practical experience in the field has demonstrated that when the enemy is at a distance between four hundred and two thousand yards it is difficult for the average soldier to gage it with sufficient accuracy to make his ire effective. I have devised a simple attachment for use in connection with the ordinary elevating sight on firearms which will enable the soldier to determine the range or distance of the object to be fired at and the corresponding adjustment required to be given to the elevating-sight.

The construction and operation of the attachment are as hereinafter described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure I is a side view of a Krag-.Iorgensen rifle provided with my improved range-finder attachment. Fig. -2 is a perspective view of such attachment with the parts adj usted as in use. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the attachment with parts adjusted as represented in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is aside View of the attachment, the .sightsbeing folded as when not required for use. Fig. 5 illustrates the application and operation of a spring for holding the sights in vertical or in horizontal position. Fig. 6 is a plan view of several parts constituting the adjustable sight-bars. Figs. 7 and S are diagrammatic views illustrating the manner of using the range-finder attachment.

The base-piece A (see Fig. 2) is suitably constructed for application to a firearm of the Krag-Jorgensen or other type, as shown in Fig. l. An ordinary elevating-sight B is pivoted at the rear end of vsuch base-piece A, and

my range-finder attachment proper, C, is similarly pivot-ed at theotherend. In both cases the parts B and Care pivoted between vertical lugsct, the pivots being formed at the ends of squarel base-bars D, which are employed to adapt the sights to be held rigidly vertical, as shown in Fig. 2, or horizontal and folded, as shown in Fig. 4:, by means of a plate-spring E. The latter is secured centrally to a crossbar a of base-piece A, and its ends press upward on the pivot-bars D of the sights B and C, as shown in Fig. 5. Theoperation is obvious. The elevating-sight B is provided with a vertically-adjustable sight-bar F, which is composed of two parts screwed together and provided with a clamp-screw fin the usual way. This elevating-sight has no peculiarity except the peep-hole b at the top. (See Fig. 2.)

The range-finder attachment proper, O, consists of an oblong rectangular frame, similar to the part B, and is provided with a sight-bar G, which is adjustable vertically, similarly to F, and is'provided wit-h a pin g, located in the central notch. The frame O is graduated in inches and fractions thereof on the rear or inner side and is provided with rack-teeth c on the outer side, as shown in Fig. 2. The sight-bar G is adjusted higher or lower, as may be required, by means of a shaft H, (see Fig. 6,) which is suitably journaled in said sight-bar and provided with pinions h, adapted to engage the racks c. It is obvious that by rotating the said shaft by means of its enlarged and milled head h the sight-bar G may be adjusted as conditions require. y

When the range-finder is to be used, the bars B and C are raised to vertical position, as shown in Figs. l, 2, and 7, and sight-bar F is then lowered upon the base-bar D, and sightbar G on O is slightly raised. This is always done before the rifle is sighted on the object to be fired at, the line of sight in such case passing between the two uprights of C and through notch of cross-bar F. This is done in order to remove all danger of moving the rifle after sighting it, which might occur by manipulating the sights. The soldier sights the distant object in the usual way, and, the riie being held immovable, he next sights the object through the peep-hole b at top of bar B and at the same time adjusts the sightbar G of the range-finder, as in Fig. 8, until the pin g is inline with the said peep-hole and object. The distance to which the sightbar G has beenraised is then noted, and this determines the height to which the sight-bar F is to be xed on the frame B. In other words, the more distant the object to be fired IOO adjustment of the sight-bar G of the rangeuder attachment and the higher will be the required elevation of the sight-bar F correspondingly. When this operation has been eiected, the sight-bar G is lowered, and the frame C of the range-finder is folded to horizontal position. The elevatingsight B is then used in subsequent firing in the usualv Way. It will be understood that the relation to each other of the graduations on the respective bars or frames B and C will have to be determined by experiment, according to conditions, especially according to the particular irearm to which the attachment is to be applied.

As shown best in Fig. 2, I provide the basepiece A With vertical guards 0.2, Which are in the nature of flanges and constructed, preferably, in triangular form. The sights B and C fold between these guards a2 and are protected thereby, as will be understood from Figs. 3 and 4:. It Will be noted that there is sufficient space between the vertical ends of the guards a2 and the adjacent lugs a to receive the sight-bar Gof the range-linder when the latter is folded.

When the bar C is closed down, as shown in Fig. 4, its base-bar D depresses the spring E sufficiently to prevent its contact Withthe adjustable side bar G, so that C will have a rm rest on the side bars or body A of the attachment.

The rear bar B is spaced and graduated in distances ranging from seven hundred to eighteen hundred yards. At three hundred -yards the rifle is pointed blank, and at four hundred, five hundred, and six hundred the range is obtained by sliding sight-bar Gof C, the ends of G in such case resting on the flanges A2. The latter are spaced and graduated to indicate distances in yards, as shown in Fig. 1. In all cases when Bis closed down, as in Fig. 4, and a sight is taken upon an object it is through the notch b', Fig. 2, at top of B. When B is set vertical, the notch of front sight-bar G is never used, except in connection With the range-finder.

While my invention is particularly intended as an attachment for the army-ride now generally used, itis obviously adapted for use 5o on others and also on guns of large caliber.

What I claim isl. The improved range-nder, comprising a base-piece; a graduated rear frame adapted to be held vertical and serve as an ordinary sight; and the range finder attachment proper, consisting of a front frame also adapted to be held rigidly vertical parallel to the 'first-named one, and having a sight-barwhich is adjustable vertically thereon, so that it 6o may be brought into line With a distant object and a selected and fixed point on the elevating-sight; both of said frames being graduated correspondingly; substantially as shown and described.

2, The improved range-finder comprising a base-piece; the rear elevating-sight frame, having a sight-guide at the top; the front range-finder attachment proper, consisting of a pivoted frame which is provided with graduations corresponding to those of the rear frame and having rack-teeth which are arranged transversely, the transverse sight-bar adapted to slide on said front frame, and a rotatable shaft having pinions that engage the rack-teeth on the range-finder frame, for adjusting said sight-bar higher or lower, as shown and described.

ARTHUR P. COLLINS.

Witnesses:

HARRY W. JAMES, JOHN BELL. 

